- Title: RUSSIA: Russian space crew arrives in Moscow
- Date: 17th September 2012
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 17, 2012) (REUTERS) ROSCOSMOS PLANE ON LANDING STRIP MAN ON TARMAC PLANE ON LANDING STRIP PLANES AND PEOPLE ON LANDING STRIP PLANE ON LANDING STRIP POST WITH GLOBE AND PLANE ILLUSTRATION NEAR AIRPORT OFFICIALS AND RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS' FAMILY MEMBERS RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS GENNADY PADALKA AND SERGEI REVIN COMING DOWN AIRPLANE STEPS PADALKA AND REVIN BEING CONGRATULATED AND HUGGED BY ROSCOSMOS OFFICIALS PADALKA WAVING AND HUGGING FAMILY MEMBERS PADALKA AND FAMILY MEMBERS BOARDING BUS PEOPLE ON TARMAC BUS LEAVING AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 2nd October 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Russian Federation
- City:
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Science,Space
- Reuters ID: LVAEG9JTPUV7BK6SA6WLO6HU3RLW
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin arrive in Moscow, several hours after their Soyuz capsule returns from the International Space Station.
A Roscosmos airplane carrying two Russian cosmonauts, newly returned to earth, landed at a Moscow airport on Monday (September 17).
The cosmonauts' Russian Soyuz capsule landed on the Kazakh steppe earlier on Monday, delivering a trio of astronauts from a four-month stint on the International Space Station (ISS).
The capsule, carrying U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin, parachuted through a blue sky and touched down in a cloud of dust as its soft landing engines ignited at 8:53 local time (0253 GMT).
The astronauts reported that they were feeling well, and were immediately transferred to a Kazakhstan airport, where the crew members boarded NASA and Roscosmos airplanes which were meant to return them to Russia and the United States.
A group of Roscosmos officials and family members greeted the Russian cosmonauts when they arrived in Moscow.
The crew returned after spending 123 days in orbit aboard the International Space Station, a $100 billion research complex involving 15 countries and orbiting 240 miles (385 km) above Earth.
The mission was shorter than the usual six months after launch delays in order to ready a new spaceship to replace the initial Soyuz craft, which was cracked during pressure tests.
Moscow hopes Monday's smooth landing will help to ease concerns over relying solely on Russia to service the ISS following a string of recent mishaps in its space programme.
Three other International Space Station crew members - veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide - remain in orbit.
They are scheduled to be joined by another trio - Kevin Ford, Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin - due to blast off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan next month. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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